Portable fire-escape.



No. 806,706. PATENTED DEC. 5, 1.905.

' G. S. PARKER & G, B. BUSWELL.

PORTABLE FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31. 19 4.

Invencors I Hthomegs.

- burr srnrns PATENT OFFICE.

onnsrnn s. PARKER Ann PORTABLE FIRE-ESCAPE- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1905.

Application filed August 31,1904. Serial No. 222,869.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we,CHnsTnR SPARKER and CHARLES E. BUSWELL, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Barton, in the county of Orleans andState of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Portable Fire-Escape,of which-the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire-escapes.

The object of the invention is to present a thoroughly efficient,practical, and portable fire-escape which may be readily carried in asatchel and which in use may beheld in position by hooking one end overa window-sill, the construction of the ladder being such that the feetand the hands of the user are shielded from engagement with thebuilding, so that rapid descent may readily be effected.

With the above and other objects in View, as will appear as the natureof the invention is better understood, the invention consists in thenovel construction and combination of parts of a portable fire-escape,as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

. In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts,there is illustrated one form of embodiment of the invention capable ofcarrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that theelements therein exhibited may be varied or changed as to shape,proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from thespirit thereof.

In the drawings, Figure l is a, view in perspective of a portion of aladder or fire-escape constructed in accordance with the presentinvention. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation, showing the manner in whichthe ladder is folded when not in use. Fig. 3 is a detail view insection, exhibiting the manner in which the rungs or spokes are combinedwith the supports.

The ladder is constructed of thin bars of metal, preferably of steel,and comprises alternate links 1 and joints 2 and asupportinghook 3. Thelinks are each madeof a single piece of metal and are provided at eachterminal with an orifice to receive a rivet 4 for holding them combinedwith the joints, the joints being approximately V-shaped and beingarranged in pairs, between which the links are pivoted. The apex of thejoints will be disposed outward, thus throwing the rungs 5 some distancebeyond the plane of the links and affording thereby ample space for thefeet and the hands of the user when the device is in operative position.

The hook is constructed by preference of a single piece of bifurcatedmetal, which is pivoted between the upper pair of links and has itsterminal shaped in any preferred manner that will insure positivegripping of the support to which it is connected. v

The rungs are by preference tubular for the purpose of lightness and arecombined with the'joints at their apices by having their outer endsbushed or upset at 6 in Fig. 3.

As shown in Fig. 2, the ladder is capable of being coiled upon itself,so that it will occupy but small space and may be readily placed withinan ordinary satchel, or it may be conveniently located in a room of ahotel or building in position to be ready of access at all times. Thejuncture between the joints and the rungs is such that no clampingaction will take place between the links and the joints, so that whenthe ladder is dropped from a window it will immediately assume avertical position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A fire-escapecomprising a plurality of links, joints connecting the links, each jointcomprising two approximately V shaped members pivotally connected attheir terminals to the links, and hollow rungs passed through the apicesof the joints and having their outer ends upset or bushed.

2. A fire-escape comprising a supportinghook, a plurality of links,joints connecting the links and the hook, each joint consisting of apair of approximately V-shaped members pivotally connected at theirterminals to the links, and two pairs of the joints being pivotallyconnected to the hook, and hollow rungs passed through the apices of thejoints and having their outer ends upset or bushed.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaifixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

CHESTER S. PARKER. CHARLES E. BUSWELL.

